Question 501: What are the conditions for 'Wudu' and 'Ghusl' (ablution and ritual bath) over a splint or bandage?

185 13 Feb 2021
Read Answer

Answer

✅Answer:

1 عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا عَنِ الْكَسِيرِ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَبَائِرُ أَوْ تَكُونُ بِهِ الْجِرَاحَةُ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ بِالْوُضُوءِ وَ عِنْدَ غُسْلِ الْجَنَابَةِ وَ غُسْلِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَقَالَ يَغْسِلُ مَا وَصَلَ إِلَيْهِ الْغَسْلُ مِمَّا ظَهَرَ مِمَّا لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ الْجَبَائِرُ وَ يَدَعُ مَا سِوَى ذَلِكَ مِمَّا لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ غَسْلَهُ وَ لَا يَنْزِعُ الْجَبَائِرَ وَ لَا يَعْبَثُ بِجِرَاحَتِهِ

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 32

Abd al-Rahman said: I asked Imam Rida (peace be upon him) about a person with a fracture that has a splint on it or a wound and injury. What should he do for 'wudu' and for 'ghusl' (ritual bath) from 'janaba' and 'ghusl' for Friday? He said: 'He should wash the places where the water reaches and that are uncovered and do not have a splint on them, and he should leave the other places that he cannot wash. He should not remove the splints (meaning the splint, cloth, cast, or bandage, etc.) and he should not tamper with his wound and injury.'

2 عَنِ الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ تَكُونُ بِهِ الْقَرْحَةُ فِي ذِرَاعِهِ أَوْ نَحْوِ ذَلِكَ فی مَوْضِعِ الْوُضُوءِ فَيَعْصِبُهَا بِالْخِرْقَةِ وَ يَتَوَضَّأُ وَ يَمْسَحُ عَلَيْهَا إِذَا تَوَضَّأَ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ يُؤْذِيهِ الْمَاءُ فَلْيَمْسَحْ عَلَى الْخِرْقَةِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ لَا يُؤْذِيهِ الْمَاءُ فَلْيَنْزِعِ الْخِرْقَةَ ثُمَّ لْيَغْسِلْهَا

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 33

Halabi said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about a person who has an injury on his hand or other places of 'wudu', so he ties it with a cloth and performs 'wudu' and wipes over it during 'wudu'; the Imam said: 'If the water harms him, he should wipe over the cloth, and if the water does not harm him, he must remove the cloth and then wash that (area).'

3 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْجُرْحِ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ صَاحِبُهُ قَالَ يَغْسِلُ مَا حَوْلَهُ.

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 32

Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about an injury, what should its owner do (for 'wudu' and 'ghusl')? He said: 'He should wash its surroundings.'

4 عَنْ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى مَوْلَى آلِ سَامٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَثَرْتُ فَانْقَطَعَ ظُفُرِي فَجَعَلْتُ عَلَى إِصْبَعِي مَرَارَةً- فَكَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ بِالْوُضُوءِ قَالَ يُعْرَفُ هَذَا وَ أَشْبَاهُهُ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ما جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ [۱] امْسَحْ عَلَيْهِ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, p. 363

[1]: Al-Hajj 22-78

Abd al-A'la said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'I fell and my nail was cut, so I put ointment and medicine on my finger. Now, what should I do for 'wudu'?' The Imam said: 'This case and similar cases are known from the Qur'an. Allah the Exalted says: "(Allah) has not placed any hardship or difficulty for you in the religion." (Instead of washing) wipe over it.'

5 عَنْ كُلَيْبٍ الْأَسَدِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ إِذَا كَانَ كَسِيراً كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ بِالصَّلَاةِ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ يَتَخَوَّفُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَلْيَمْسَحْ عَلَى جَبَائِرِهِ وَ لْيُصَلِّ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, p. 363

Kulayb said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a person with a fracture, what should he do for prayer? He said: 'If he fears for himself, he should wipe over the splints (meaning the splint, cloth, cast, or bandage, etc.) and pray.'

6 عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ عَنِ الدَّوَاءِ إِذَا كَانَ عَلَى يَدَيِ الرَّجُلِ أَ يُجْزِيهِ أَنْ يَمْسَحَ عَلَى طَلَى الدَّوَاءِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ يُجْزِيهِ أَنْ يَمْسَحَ عَلَيْهِ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, p. 364

Washa' said: I asked Imam Rida (peace be upon him) about medicine that is on a person's hand, is it sufficient for him to wipe over the applied medicine? He said: 'Yes, it is sufficient for him to wipe over it.'

✅It is clear from the above narrations that if a person has a fracture or a wound and has placed a splint, cloth, cast, medicine, or the like on it, and if the water is not harmful to it and does not bother him, he must uncover it for 'ghusl' and 'wudu' to wash the place of the splint as well. And of course, according to narration 3, in the case of a wound or injury, he only washes its surroundings, and if the water bothers him and is harmful to him, he should wash the uncovered areas and wipe over the splints, meaning he should pass his wet hand over them.